corpus/corpora - ethymology

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Anonymous

#513112 Tue, 13 May 08 01:29 PM

When the plurals of fungus and cactus are fungi and cacti (or cactuses), why the plural of corpus is not corpi but corpora (or corpuses)?

I know it would sound strange, but by analogy it should be similar to the previous ones.

Anonymous

Analogies, Plurals

Feebs11

#513221 Tue, 13 May 08 07:08 PM

It depends on the nature of the originating language:

Cactus derives from the Greek "o kaktos", plural = "kaktoi" [masculine noun]

Fungus derives from the Latin "fungus", plural = "fungi" [masculine noun]

Corpus derives from the Latin "corpus", plural = "corpora" [neuter noun]

Feebs11

Joined on Thu, Nov 23 2006

Senior Member (4,606)

Nouns, Plurals

Tanit

#513228 Tue, 13 May 08 07:20 PM

Hi,

The short answer would be: such question are dangerous, try and learn them by heart! Wink

The long answer is: in Latin, they have different inflected forms because they belong to two different "classes": 2nd declension and 3rd declension:

Fungus (same inflected forms in "cactus"): 2nd declension
    Nominative: (singular) fungus => (plural) fungi
    Genitive: (singular) fungi => (plural) fungorum
    Dative: (singular) fungo => (plural) fungis
    Accusative: (singular) fungum => (plural) fungos
    Vocative: (singular) funge => (plural) fungi
    Ablative: (singular) fungo => (plural) fungis

Corpus : 3rd declension
    Nominative: (singular) corpus => (plural) corpora
    Genitive: (singular) corporis => (plural) corporum
    Dative: (singular) corpori => (plural) corporibus
    Accusative: (singular) corpus => (plural) corpora
    Vocative: (singular) corpus => (plural) corpora
    Ablative: (singular) corpore => (plural) corporibus

Now, have a look at the nominative case:
fungus >> fungi
cactus >> cacti
corpus >> corpora

Tanit

Joined on Mon, Jul 31 2006

In the middle of the Mediterranean Sea

Contributing Member (1,610)

... e quindi uscimmo a riveder le stelle (...and thence we came forth to see again the stars) -- D. Alighieri

Accusative, Genitives, Nominative, Plurals

Anonymous

#521214 Sat, 31 May 08 08:36 AM

It's all to do with gender. Cactus and fungus are masculine nouns of which the proper plural ends in -i. Corpus is actually a neuter noun. Hence, the proper plural (nominative case) ends in -a.

It's 'corpora' rather than 'corpa' because the genitive singular case defines the stem of the noun. The genitive singular case of corpus is 'corporis'.

Anonymous

Genders, Genitives, Nominative, Nouns, Plurals